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Design and Applied Arts at Wake Technical Community College

Raleigh, NC · Public · Certificate

serving 18,605 students in Raleigh, NC.

Program Analysis

Graduates earn $32,153/yr, edging above the $28,654 national average for Design and Applied Arts — a modest premium that suggests solid regional demand for this trade.

With a 193.6x return on tuition over ten years, the financial case for this program is compelling by virtually any measure.

The 28% difference between AI scenarios reflects partial automation exposure. Some Design and Applied Arts career paths face changes, but the trade's physical demands provide a buffer.

At $10,084 in median debt against $32,153 in first-year earnings, graduates can expect to clear their loan balance quickly — a hallmark of affordable trade programs.

Among 92 Design and Applied Arts programs nationally, Wake Technical Community College ranks #1 — elite territory by any measure of graduate financial outcomes.

A 37% earnings increase from $32,153 to $43,918 over five years is solid — not a moonshot, but evidence of normal career advancement.

The 9 apprenticeship pathways connected to Design and Applied Arts reflect strong industry infrastructure for this trade. Apprenticeships typically lead to journeyman-level wages.

65 /100
TradeSchoolOutlook Score
60
Low End
65
Score
67
High End
Earnings $32,153/yr (12% vs median)
AI-Proof Moderate (62% shielded)
Job Market Very Large (101,000 openings/yr)

Earnings Overview

Projected 10-Year Earnings
$468K
8.1% annual growth
Earnings Multiple (In-State)
200.4x
10-year earnings ÷ tuition
Viable Career Paths
14 of 14
Occupations with strong AI resilience

Projected 10-Year Earnings

Based on actual graduate salary data and Bureau of Labor Statistics growth projections.

Program Tuition (In-State)
$2,336
Out-of-state: $7,582
Median Debt at Graduation
$10,084
3.8 months of Year 1 earnings
Reported Earnings (5 Year)
$43,918
37% growth from Year 1

Top Career Paths

Top career paths for Design and Applied Arts graduates by median salary.

Career Path Median Salary Growth AI-ProofAI
Art directors $111,040 +4.2% 50%
Architecture teachers, postsecondary $101,480 +2.0% 51%
Special effects artists and animators $99,800 +1.6% 48%
Art directors
$111,040
+4.2% growth 50% AI-proof
Architecture teachers, postsecondary
$101,480
+2.0% growth 51% AI-proof
Special effects artists and animators
$99,800
+1.6% growth 48% AI-proof

View all 14 career paths with full salary data →

Design and Applied Arts Career Guide

See the full career breakdown for Design and Applied Arts — job titles, salary ranges, and growth projections for graduates from Wake Technical Community College and 91 other schools.

Read the full Design and Applied Arts career guide →

Compare & Explore

Design and Applied Arts Overview

View all 92 schools offering Design and Applied Arts →

Design and Applied Arts at Other Schools

Gnomon ($80,221) Miami Ad School-Atlanta ($56,833) Miami Ad School ($56,833) Interior Designers Institute ($52,768) The New School ($44,640) Century College ($43,778) Austin Community College District ($40,289) Minneapolis Community and Technical College ($40,230)

Other Majors at Wake Technical Community College

Nursing ($68,266) Computer Science ($55,264) Allied Health Professions ($51,707) Computer Science ($48,280) Accounting ($44,616) Accounting ($38,258) Business Administration ($37,124) Business Administration ($35,574)

Considering a 4-Year Degree Instead?

Compare Design and Applied Arts degree programs on DegreeOutlook →

Compare how bachelor's degree graduates fare on earnings, ROI, and AI resilience.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Wake Technical Community College's Design and Applied Arts program score?
This program scores 65/100, reflecting respectable but not exceptional financial outcomes for Design and Applied Arts graduates.
How vulnerable is Design and Applied Arts to AI automation?
AI exposure of 38% is a real factor. For Wake Technical Community College specifically, the gap between optimistic ($468,168) and pessimistic ($336,391) decade earnings reflects that uncertainty.
Is Wake Technical Community College one of the best schools for Design and Applied Arts?
Ranked #1 of 92 programs nationally, Wake Technical Community College lands in the top 1%. The ranking reflects a combination of graduate earnings, return on investment, and job market alignment.
Are there apprenticeship options for Design and Applied Arts?
If Wake Technical Community College's tuition gives you pause, consider that 9 DOL-registered apprenticeship pathways exist for Design and Applied Arts. You'd earn while training, avoiding student debt entirely — though completion takes longer than a certificate program.
What's the job market like for Design and Applied Arts from Wake Technical Community College?
With approximately 101,000 annual openings across mapped careers, Design and Applied Arts offers a very large employment pool. Wake Technical Community College graduates enter a market shaped by consistent replacement demand and industry growth.
Data from College Scorecard, BLS, and AI resilience research. Methodology & sources →